As the new European season dawns, the Premier League promises a distinct flavour. The usual title favourites, Manchester City and Arsenal, remain. But a wave of new, relatively unknown faces to the more casual football fans, would be eager to change the power dynamics of the league. As Jurgen Klopp’s successor, Liverpool have acquired Arne Slot from Feyenoord. Chelsea, for once, have ditched star managers and settled for the not-so-famous Enzo Maresca from Leicester City.
Whether they shake up City’s monopoly or shatter Arsenal’s dream of a first title since 2004 would take weeks to assume and months to arrive at a verdict, but new faces could freshen up the league. Slot would walk into immense pressure, a cauldron after Liverpool’s resurrection years under Klopp, a cult hero and the man who helped them win their first league in 30 years.
With no new signings this season, Liverpool fans are just one defeat away from ringing the alarm bells but they should give the new manager a chance before doing so. With a well-balanced squad already under him, Slot is more akin to Klopp. A possession-based game premised on fast counterattacks, where he looks to get more bodies in the midfield, turning the right back into an additional man to push upfield, he has a carefully nurtured style. He insists he could be flexible, and is not a slave of systems. A coach under whom the players will get as much freedom as Klopp, Slot might turn out to be a surprise package this year. Their first match against Kieran McKenna’s Ipswich Town would give most fans their first glimpse of Slot-ball.
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— Premier League (@premierleague) August 12, 2024
Maresca, meanwhile, has had a dramatically different transfer window. Typical of Chelsea, they have been on a shopping spree, buying as many as nine players, the most prominent names being Pedro Neto and Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall. Maresca, who has had just one full season as a coach, guiding Leicester City back to the Premier League by winning the Championship last season, must be aware of the pressures of managing the most trigger happy club. Despite the outgoing manager Mauricio Pochettino helping Chelsea recover from their horrid start last season and finishing sixth, the Argentine was let go just when he was finding rhythm. Maresca’s biggest challenge would be a whimsical owner.
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One of the main reasons that he was offered the job, however, was that he was Pep Guardiola’s understudy. The Italian was the coach of Manchester City academy in 2020. In 2021, he would go to Italy and try his hand at coaching Parma but could not find success and returned to City, where he worked as an assistant to Guardiola before landing the Leicester job.
A manager heavily inspired by Guardiola’s tactics, employs a 4-3-3 formation which will ensure Enzo Fernandez, Moises Caicedo and Cole Palmer see more of the ball. They would strive to regain the shape and win the ball back from the opponent when defending, just as Guardiola’s City does.
Young and eager
Another little known manager before the season was Brighton’s Fabian Hurzeler, as Roberto De Zerbi left the club to join Marseille. A coach who has been discussed more for his age than his tactics, at 31 years, Hurzeler will be the youngest ever manager to take charge of a Premier League match when Brighton take on Everton in their opening fixture.
But the bright lights of the EPL will not deter the Texas-born manager. Hurzeler is not a stranger to pressure. He was promoted from assistant to head coach when St. Pauli was close to relegation in the Bundesliga second division and in two and a half years, made them league champions and earned promotion to the Bundesliga. “I’m a young man, but not a young coach,” the German has repeatedly said after joining the EPL side.
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With a decade of coaching experience already under his belt, it would be foolish to just focus on his age. With an ultra-attacking 3-4-3 formation that he has preferred since his early St Pauli days, this Brighton team might end up playing spoiler to many traditional giants of the league.
But the more the league keeps evolving, the more it remains the same. The odds are on another dogfight of a title race between Arsenal and City. Mikel Arteta’s side did manage to bridge the gap last year, trailing City by just two points. They have reinforced their defence and would probably bolster their midfield too. But City would be the first among the equals, and the acquisition of Brazilian winger Savinho is a clear indication that City could play a more direct and dynamic style than ever before. Then there is the familiar group of Manchester United’s Erik Ten Hag, Tottenham’s Ange Postecoglou, Aston Villa’s Unai Emery and West Ham’s Julen Lopetegui looking to topple the applecart.
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Things to look forward
City’s change of style: The acquisition of fleet-footed winger Savinho, the champions could turn on the afterburners. With an equally pacy Doku, Guardiola’s men could leave many backlines chasing shadows. They are not without concerns. They have not yet bought a back-up for Erling Haaland after Julian Alvarez’s departure. A couple of stars are ageing—Kyke Walker and Kevin de Bruyne.
Arsenal’s ambitions: The Gunners have a more or less settled squad, and rather than any change of style they would look to improve from last year’s performance. Fatigue would be their lone concern, as their key players, Declan and Bukayo Saka, had featured in the entire Euros. But more than talent and style, this season would be a test of their ambition more than anything else.
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Villa’s march: The season would be tougher for Emery’s men as they are in the Champions League. They have enhanced depth by shopping eight players, most of them likely to remain as squad players, expect defensive midfielder Amadou Onana. But their biggest challenge would be to prove that the last season was not a flash in the pan and they would challenge for the title this term.
United’s refurbishing: Defence wins title, so spake their legendary manager Sir Alex Ferguson. Maybe, it’s the reason they have gone for a defensive overhaul, buying two centre backs and a full back, besides a forward. But the biggest concern would be whether injuries would wreck Ten Hag’s team again. The preseason signs are not encouraging—half a dozen are already injured and doubtful for the first game.
